davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
Fish on the Desert.

A most astonishing discovery was made one day some two weeks ago. on the desert about ten miles southeast of Mayhew's halfway house between Flor ence and Casa Grande, and three miles from MT. J. c. Loss's ranch. Felix May hew and a Mexican were out hunting horses when they espied a small water hole some two or three feet in diameter and quite shallow. Mr. Mayhew rode up to it intending to water his horse, when he found it alive with fish, He left the Mexican at the place and rode to Loss's ranch for bucket to save them alive, and when he returned the rapidly receding water had left the fish almost dry. Out of the little hole were taken four fine carp, one five inches, one ten inches, one twelve and one thirteen inches in length, and they are now en- toying the Inequalities of Mr. Mayhew's water tank and may be seen by any one that passes his station. How the carp reached the water hole is the great mys- tery, as no one has noticed sufficient overflow of the Santa Cruz to bring them across sixty miles of desolation, and yet there is no other way of account ing for their presence in the desert.-- Florence (Ariz. Enterprise.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
Helping Out the Minister.

A strange chance threw me in com pany, to-day, on street corner with an oculist and aurist and minister, writes the Chicago Journals "Sidewalk Stroll er." In the course of the conversation the oculist made curious and instructive remark about the eyes and eyesight. He said: 'It is singular thing that when a man thinks his eyes are all out of sorts, and that his eyesight is failing, there is apt to be nothing the matter with him, and that when he thinks his eyes are all right, but that the objects of sight are too small or blurred, then his eyesight is failing. When fellow can't see as we'll as he used to, and feels like rubbing and bathing his eyes, he is not in very bad way; but when he complains that the newspapers are not printed in as large or as clear type as they were formerly, then his eyes are failing. The same paradox exists in the sense of hearing. When a man feels like picking his ears there is nothing very serious the matter, with his ears; but when he thinks his ears are all right, and that everybody around him mumbles his words, then he is going deaf" These remarks caused the minis ters eyes to sparkle somewhat, and he said, "What beautiful illustration. Come and hear me preach next Sunday, and see how will use it. have ser mon on the stocks from the text, 'The heart is dcccitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know itp and have been cudgeling my brains for two days for some adequate illustration of that text. You see, when man planes himself for everything that goes wrong, he is apt not to be to blame at all; but if he thinks he is paragon and everybody else at fault, then he is apt to be all wrong, and the cause of all his own miseries. You have no idea how much easier it is to amplify thought when you have even one really good illustration"
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
A Novel Incentive to Speed.

Honest John Blank was for several years the well-know Governor of New England state. Governor John had 8 brother William, perhaps equally honest, though less we'll known, who was a sportsman, and somewhat given to the cheering cup. On one of his shooting excursions William and boon con- panion found that their horse did not trot quite rapidly enough to correspond with their cxhilaratcd notions of the proper speed, and the companion fired q charge of bird shot into the animal to encourage him. The horse dashed wildly off, the buggy rocking, hats and parcels flying in all directions, and William, ruler of the storm, shouted with delight: "Shoot i'm ag'in! shoot i'm ag'in. He goes adm'ably. Harper's Magazine.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
MO-. 13.
Tea TaSterS.

''Ten years ago only one store In a hundred had what is known as a tea taster; now there is no tea house of any importance whatever which has not in one of its employees good tea taster,' said large wholesale tea dealer. "A thousand chests of tea will be received; the tea taster then gets in his work. A little tea is taken and put in a scale; just enough to balance five-cent piece It is then placed in cups and boiling water is poured over the tea. The taster then takes sip from each cup and writes down on piece of paper his idea of its worth.
 ''No two tssters, however agrc, to tho value of toa, especially the black Oolong, which is mostly drank in this city"
 "Does the tea have any injurious effect on the taster?"
 "Sometimes he will get hold of a pos itively rank grade, and then he will spit it out as soon as he can. Frequent tast- ing often makes man very nervous, and most of these men soon acquire a positive dislike for tea and drink nothing but coffee. There are connoiseurs of tea as we'll as whiskey. "- Philadelphia News.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
A Gigantic Leaf.

At the meeting of the Royal Botanic Society of England, recently, among other curi9sities of plant life exh ibited was 8 leaf-of-the Victoria R,gia water lily, seven feet in diameter, showing the peculiar structure of the under side of the leaf, from which one might suppose the cellular structure of some ironclads and other large vessels was taken. The radiating ribs or veins resemble T gird- CTS tied together by deep, lateral walls, forming many hundred air-tight cells, some so large as to contain ten ounces of swatcr, and, of course, when floating on the water and filled with air, giving re- markablc buoyancy to the leaf, single leaf having been known to support a weight of 400 pounds.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
Moderation in Diet.

"Thc Roman soldiers" says the Sci cntific American, 'who built such won- larf:l roads and carried weight of armor and luggage that would crush the nv, rare farm hand lived on coarse brown bread and sour wine. They wcro tea peratc in diet and regular and con mt ia exercise. The Spanish peasant works every day and dances half the
 iyht, yet cats only his black bread, o ion and watermelon. The Smyrna porter cat, only fruit and some olives, y.t he walks off with his load of 100 M.unds. The cooi,, fed on rice, is more activc and can endure more than the ', TO fed on fat mcat The heavy work ,i the word is not done by men who eat ,he grcatc>t quantity. Moderation in diet seen, 10 be the prs-r quisite of en- ,lura., e.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
A Dog in League With Rats.

Napoleon, huge mastiff who domi- mates the cellar of Charles Ducey, on Sixth avenue, says the New York Mail and Express, has so far forgotten his canine dignity as to form a league with the rats that infest his domain. There was some hope that Napolcon's presence would scare away the vermin, but noth i"g of the sort occurred, and now the Newfoundland lives royalty upon share of the dainties stolen by the rats. When a rat appears with roast chicken or a piece of beef Napoleon barks fierccly and snatches the meat from the rodents jaws. His meal over he affcctionate.y licks the coat of his provider by way of thanks
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
CANAAN CONN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER

years, eagerly seize the ropes and hold fast, to keep the pony from kicking, taking care to keep at re- spectful distance from the hoofs that wildly paw the air. When the branding is completed the colts are again turned loose, and they trot nimbly off to their mothers, and, unless great many buyers are present, the whole herd is again let out of the pen, and, unre- strained by the whip or lasso, are off with the speed of the wind, and are soon lost to sight in the great woods. .. Formerly these ponies could be bought very cheap, but since the facilities for travel to the island have increased and the population grown to such large pro- portions, they command higher prices and arc much sought after by the wealthy for beach driving. They are easily trained, and when properly cared for after being taken from their marshy home are handsome little specimens of horsef1esh. - Philadelphia Times.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21

James Parton, in one of his fine agricultural articles, says: '1 do not know one educated young man of American birth who thinks of farming as profession" and he says that young men of brains, education and grit are much needed in the agricultural world. Thoughtful, s'>ilful direction, with the ability to recognize and make use of Natures own limits, are bound to sway the producing world. Mir. Parton be- ieves the kind of farmers who are des- tined to raise the calling from its present depressed condition, are those who know all about it by education and observa- ton, but as directing head ought not to be also to:ling hands. He says: s'The head man of anything extensive and complicated IS of necessity exempt from manual toll; but, in return for the exemption, he secures to those who labor under his direction happier lot than manual toll has ever enjoyed. /" ss.If any young fellow should ask me Shall be farmer? would have to reply by asking him another question :: Are you man enough2n
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
ChicagO's Waning Stock Business.

Chicago is gradually feeling the west ward drift of the cattle and hog busi- ness. The traffic of the great stock yards IS lessening, and the time is near at hand when Kansas City pork products and Montana and New Moxlco dressed beef will partially supplant the Chicago pork and beef in Eastern markets. Not many years ago all the beef consumed in Boston and vicinity was driven on the hoof to Brighton, Medford and Water town. It now comes largely in refrig- orator cars. Chicago will sooner or later meet similar experience. -[ Boston Cultivator
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
\ Commission That Was Declined,

X Commission That Was Declined.
 Artists have good many queer cus- toners, and they have advantages for observing what vague ideas it is possible for man to entertain respecting art and nature too. An ex-soldier went to the studio of D. J. Cue, of Brooklyn, one day. to inspect a picture of Lookout Mountain that the artist had been paint tug. The picture pleased him, and he evidently had thoughts of purchase, but he was suddenly struck with brilliant idea that he communicated thus: "I was in that fight, mister, and I'd like you to paint my picture on that. Let's see. You could paint mo right here in this field, facing front, with my left hand resting on top of the mountain. !" The man was in thorough earnest. He did not see that if drawn to scale his figure would be about 5000 feet high, and that he would have reach of arm that would enable him to grasp at an object six or seven miles away. Mir. Cue precipitately declined the commis- sion. .-[ Brooklyn Eagle.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
The Cork Oak.

The growth of cork-oak in California is not matter of experiment.; its sue cess was demonstrated long ago. The distribution of cork -acorns by the Patent Office about twenty-five years ago may not have accomplished much in other parts of the country, but it gave us start, and there are now trees yielding cork and bearing acorns at a number of different places in the State. There are trees growing on MT. Richardson's place at San Gabriel. There were samples of cork and acorns shown at the Sacramen- to Citrus Fair by H. A. Messenger, of Calavcras County. There are trees of similar age ia Sonoma, Santa Barbara and Tulare, and perhaps other counties. The State University is growing seed lings from California cork acorns, and will be likely to have the teees for dis tribution next year. There is no doubt about the adaptation of the tree to the State, as the widely separated places named above all furnish proper condi- tions for it's growth. It is of course a crop of which one has to wait some time to gather, and therefore needs patience in the planter.
 All the corkwood of commerce comes from the Spanish Peninsula, where the trees abound not only in cultivated forests but also grow wild on the noun tains. The tree is like an American oak, and acorns. It takes ten years for !! the bark to become proper thickness to be manufactured into bottle shoppers, life preservers and seine corks. When stripped from the tree it is to be boiled for two hours, cured in the sun for a week and pressed into flat pieces for baling and shipping. The denuded trunk,- like g hen robbed of-her eggs, does not sulk and quit the business, but throws out a fresh covering for fresh spoliation. One tree has been known to yield half a ton of corkwood. One pound of cork can be manufactured into IA champagne corks. The baled cork bark is sold to cork manufacturing cen tres. The most extensive manufactory in America is at Pittsburg. Besides the ordinary demands for cork bark, a good supply of the buoyant material, after be- ing burned, to make it still tighter than the original bark, is shipped to Canada and New England, where it is made into seine corks. The average annual i'm portation of corkwood into this country, entirely at the port of New York, is 70, 900 bales year. A bale weighs 160 pounds, and is worth on this side of the water $20, making total value of the importations of $1, 400, 900. It comes in duty free.-[Pacitic Rural Press.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21

General Neal Dow, the originator of the 'tMaine Liquor Law," is eighty-four wears old and his hair is as white as snow :; he is in vigorous health, and is more active than most men at fifty. He de- votes his entire time to the study of politics and the advancement of the cause of temperance. He has collected a library of statistics and newspaper clippings on the liquor question, and from his voluminous scrap-books and memoranda supplies the friends of pro- hibition in all parts of the country with weapons of war to be used against the liquor dealers.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
Sea Songs.

sea songs. Aloft and allow in the glimmer and glow of Across and along the path of the new moon
 creeping, The dawn of the crescent sails on the dusk of
 spars,
 sleeping. The wind that touches the secret pulsing Aloft and allow on those perfect breasts of
 snow, Is grooming across the midnight's peaceful
 spaces
 A song that came out of chaos through
 time to grow. And under the bow the lucent nipples break In shapes that are fair, in rhythm that is
 sweet beyond measure; Till the heart is full and no more it's thirst
 can slake
 In the fathomless fountains of joy where
 the sea makes pleasure. Afar where the waves and the sky together
 are growing,
 Out of the jaws of night with muttering
 roar, Comes tremendous thunder, . sound as of sea kline lowing:
 The voice of the deep that is sullenly smiting the shore. Adown from the measureless mountain of
 sails above, When the starlight falters and melts and is too faint to glisten, A sailor lad murmurs an old-world ballad of love; And the sea and my heart are silent and tremble and listen. nv. J. Henderson.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
Interesting Photographs.

An accomplished amateur photogra- pher has set of rough Manila albums, each one devoted to one of his children. The first page shows the baby day old and not month passes without a picture of that child or some of its surround ings-the nursery, the house, its books and playthings. On some pages are family groups in which the child fig ures. Beneath each picture is written the date, and the album will constitute a curious record for the future. - liar pers BaZar
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21

The English sparrow has scarcely a friend in the country, according to the Cultirator, which says of that active little bird: 'sHis original importation was serious mistake, though well in- tended Farmers who devote their time to the cultivation of grain report that the sparrows, wherever they are thick, do frightful damage to cereals. Market gardeners and the raisers of small fruit in the vicinity of cities say that since sparrows began to multiply the profits of market gardening have almost vanished. The only known use for the sparrow is as a substitute for reed birds. They make exdalent table birds for those epicures who delight in bird pie and bird sup Ders E
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
His Vacation.

"Hello, Charley, what are you doing, moving?" asked one young man of an- other whom he met with big valisc in his hand.
 'Ive just commenced my vacation"
 ''Your vacation2'
 "Yes, I'm vacating at the request of my landlady. ."-[ Washington Critic.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
Freaks of Electricity,

"Did you rcad," asked Dufunny, s.about that baldheadcd man in Michi- gan who went out in storm and had cat photographed on his head by light ning?'
 "Yes, read about it.'
 "Wonderful, wasn't it?"
 70, don't know. Nothing strange about that. once had sad iron pho- tographcd on my head without the aid of lightning"
 "How did that happen9"
 My wife did it. t.'-[ Nebraska State Journal.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
HUMOROUS.
Rich bread-A big pay roll.
 Co:o, s.~ or,,,c Tvv;po


 Companions in arms-Twins.
 The sculptor is the man who carves out his own fortune.
 The cream of the base ball club should be found in the pitcher.
 ''Bear with me little," observed the grizzly as he hugged the hunter.
 'Oh mammal sighed little Ethel, q have such headache in my sashr'
 It is the silent watches of the night that render alarm clocks necessary.
 The fisherman has no difficulty in making both ends meet when he catches an eel.
 An advertisement in live paper is of great assistance to dentist. It "draws" for him.
 There is one drawback to being a queen. The people know just how old you are.
 No, Nellie, stirrup is not what they used to beat eggs with, but to ride horseback.
 Squildig calls big bulldog in his neighborhood "Dclay," because delays are dangerous.
 Wife: ''In the game of lawn tennis, my dear, what is the most difficult thing to acquire?" Husband: "The lawn"
 An old woman may be an incorrigible gossip, but when you come right down to facts, the peacock is the greatest tail bearer of all.
 Teacher to the class in chemistry): What does sea water contain besides the sodium chloride that we have mentioned2 Head boy: Fish.
 The man who has "nothing to: live for' calls in the doctor as quick as any other man when there is anything the matter with him.
 Thirty-two hundred babies arc born in the United States every day, and yet people wonder where all the squalls and cyclones come from.
 Guest (to child of hostess)-''My little pet, why do you sit next to me at table to-day" 'Betausc-be- tause mamma says co drink like fish, and want to see co do it."'
 Foreman (to editoD-Do you want the Rev. Mr. Goodman's sermon, 'Feed my Lambs," to go on the editorial page2 Editor (adsent- -mindcdly)-No. Run it in the "Agricultural Department.
 Seasickness, it is said, does not origi- nate in the stomach. This may be true, but those who have been it's victims can avouch that it starts straight for the stomach the moment it attacks you.
 A barber says that his occupation pro- duces tho most nervous men in the Eworld. This is probably owing to the 1 fact that barber is no sooner through with one scrapc than he begins another.
 Little Boy Pa, what does ''phenom- | cnal" mcan2 Father--It is a word used | by the citizens of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska when they refer to the growth of their respective towns. It doesn't mean much.
 The Rev. Joseph Cook says it is hard for man to get away from his environ mcnt. The youth painfully realizes ,hi, when he has barbci wire orchard fence on ono side, a fcrocious bull dog on another, and the old man coming at him wi.h a hay fork.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
PharaOh's Flowers,

The remains of no less than if ,tynine species of Towering plants from mummy wrappings in Egypt have been idcnti- fled. The flowers have been wonder fully preserved, even the delicate violet color Of the larkspur and the scarlet of the poppy, the chlorophyl in the leaves, and the sugar in the raislns, remaining. -TChicaUo Herald.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
Medical Advice.

"There is your money doctor, and I'm much obliged to you. Ideclare, my children are always meeting with acci- dents, and ought to know how to treat them. Now, what would you do in the case of broken arm?"
 "Wcll, say ten dollars for setting, and afterward the usual price, two dollars visit. Boston Courier.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
own soil.

It appears from the report of the United States Commissioner of Internal Revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1887, that the receipts from fer mcnted liquors were sa1, o2s, 1s7, an in crease over u e previous year of $2, 245, 446. United States Internal Revenue tax was paid upon 23, 121, 526 barrels of fermented liquors, an increase for the year of 2,41O, 593 barrels. These figures indicate increased consumption of fer mented liquors.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
Southern California produces olives in

Southern California produces olives in great perfection. The most prosperous grower is Colonel Elwood Cooper, the largest grower and manufacturer of sweet oil in the world, who expects to make from his present crop from 20, 900 to 25,000 bottles of oil. He employs thirty men steadily-from sixty to seventy great part of the time, and has one hundred acres of olive trees. This year he will also raise at least ten carloads of English walnuts and four or five of almonds.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21

The various computations of the amount spent yearly in this country on liquor are very curious. One speaker at recent temperance meeting at Brock ton. Mass, asserted that from the sum spent every year on liquor thousand one-dollar gold pieces might be put on each word in the Bible, and that even then there would hc $26, 900 to spare.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
n0f No COnSeuuenca."

A bright little girl, who did not see the value of arithmetic, was asked to give the total of five cows and seven cows. ''Nine," she answered promptly, and her answer being rejected, said "Eleven." On again being convinced of error, she became scornfully indiffer- cut, "Oh, it's of no consequence how many COWS there are, she said; "you know we'll enough and don't want t know. "-fTroy Times,
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21

The efforts of foreigners to acquire and monopofize large tracts of land in this country have been partially checked by the alien land laws. Englishmen and Scotchmen are now turning their atten- tion to Mexico, where they arc acquiring immense tracts of land at nominal prices. Let us hope, says the Cultirator, that the land may not be held in large blocks in this country, to the exclusion of the small farmer who may desire to till his
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
herself, and took the rooms her mother had had in the Sister House.

She lived there, for nearly half cen- tury, calm, orderly, peaceful life. She never again left the quiet building in which her childhood had been passed, or tried to break its dull monotony. But when she used to tell of this, her one adventure, her eyes would burn and her chin quiver.
 She would never hear an evil word against any of. Gods creatures.
 q, myself" she would say, "was once among the abandoned of the earth, poor circus players and wild beast tanners, sand they treated me as though I had been their own child Gods mark of ownership is on all His -chifdren-s= somewhere "-Youth's Companion. Y
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21

Isaiah V. Williamson is considered the richest man in Philadelphia. He is said to be worth saO, 900, 900, all of which he made himself. He is an old bachelor, and the word ''old'' is used advisedly, for he has passed his eighty-ifth birthday. He has been very charitable since he grew wealthy, and has been known to give away $500, 900 in year.
Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21

When Farmer E. D. Higby, of Tocsin,
 Ill.,, went to his we'll to draw pail of water the other morning he found, Where hole, which up to date had been un- fathomcd. This is one of the instances on record of the bottom dropping out of